Automatic traction-rope-take-up mechanism.



J. J. NEBNAN, G. T. HANCHETT & M. E. NEENAN AUflOMATIU TRACTION ROPE TAKE-UP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1911.

Patented Jan. 26 1915.

4 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

5 vwo, M003 I. JQNEENAN, G. T. HANCHETT KL M. B. NEENAN.

\ AUTO!Y1ATIG TRACTION ROPE TAKE-UP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1. 1

Patented Janlzeg 1m.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. I

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J. J. NBBNAN, G. T. HANOHETT & M. E. NEENAN.

AUTOMATIC TRACTION ROPE TAKE-UP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION EILEI) AUG. 1, 1911. 1,1 26,260.

5 wua who,

J. J. NBENAN, G. T. HANCHETT & M. E. NEBNAN.

- AU'POIVIA'IIC TRACTION ROPE TAKE-UP MECHANISM.

APP IQATIMI rum) AUG.1,1911.'

memea M1126; 1915.

3HEETSSHEET 4.

journaled upon a pivoted beam carrying the car supporting sheave. Fig. is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the automatic clutch forming part of the mechanism sho an in Figs. 4 a'nd5. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a further slight modilicath u. Fi 8 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the clutch mechanism forming part of the mechanisn'i shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a. transverse sectional view of the same form of clutch, clutch disk 1M and clutch elements 115 being shifted somewhat from their positions shown in Fig. 8. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a detail side elevation and a detail transverse sectional view of a further modification embodying a double-acting ratchet clutch. Figs. 12, l3, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are detail views illustrating further modified forms of our invention. \Vhile our invention is applicable to trac tion rope mechanisms of various types, we have designed the same with. particular rcference to elevator mechanisms and for the purpose of illustrating the principles involved in our invention, we have shown in the accompanying drawings various forms of the invention applied to an ele ator construction of the type covered by the above named patent of Michael E. Neenan.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and of the drawings, A represents an elevator car sus pended from one or more ropes or cables 1 which pass over the carsupporting sheave 52 and down to the car counterweight 3 which operates in suitable guideways illustrated at 4. The car supper ing sheave is mounted upon a shaft 10 journaled in suitable bearings 11 secured to a pair of beams 01 levers 1Q- pivotally mounted at one end at 13 so as to move freely upon the pivot in a vertical plane. Suitably journaled in the free ends of the pivoted beams or levers 12 is a take-up sheave or pulley to which are attached the upper ends of the traction ropes or cables indicated at 20. These traction rcpes'or cables 20 may be of any desired number. Two of such cables are shown in the drawings. From the take-up sheave or pulley 15 cables 20 pass up and around an idler sheave or pulley journaled in suit able stationary bracket bearings at the top and thence downwardly to the counterweight 3 where they are led around an antifriction pulley SO freely journaled in the counterweight 3. From the wheel or pulley the cables 20 pass upwardly over the main sheave mounted upon shaft 36 suitably jr urnaled in bearin 's 37 and 38 at the top of the car well From the sheave cables 20 pass downwardly arouno. a motor driven sheave or drum 40 at the bottom of the car well and from thence upward around the anti-friction sheave or pulley 30 upon. the counterweight 3 and then down to a stationary point indicated. at -15.

To maintain the (uicrative parts oi a rope traction mechanism in proper working rclation, it is necessary to retain the traction rope under proper tension. which can be accomplished only by taking up the slack and stretch of the rcpc from time to time as the variations in positions of the parts may re quire. Our invruitiou accomplishes this important result.

In the t} of meclmnism shown in Figs. 1 and. 2, th. automatic take-up may be arranged at either end oi? the rope. In. most of the forms of our invention, we have ap plied the take-u p to operate upon the sheave or pulley 15 which is journaled upon the pivoted beams 12. Such arrangement will he hereinafter described.

In Fig. 3, we have shown a take-up wheel or pulley journalcd on the shaft .31 suitably supportcd upon the frame beams at the bottonrof the elevator well. The sheave or pulley 50 has the lower ends of the tractron ropes or cables suitably fastened to it. Secured to sheave or pulley 50 is a ratchet wheel constantly engaged by a retaining dog 53 pivoted at 54: and held in operative position by a spring such as 55. Journaled upon shalt 51. is a rock arm 56 carrying a spring pressed dog 57 held in engagement with the ratchet wheel This rock arm is yieldingly supported by a spring device shown at 58 directly in the path of the car counterweight 3 so that in the event of the counterweight moving down to an unusual. degree by reasonot' the stretching of the ropes or cables 20, the rock arm 56 will be engaged to be moved downwardly against the action of its spring to cause dog 57 to rotate sheave or pulley 50 and thereby take up part of the excess of length in the cables 20. The stroke of the rock arm 56 will depend upon the extent of stretch in the traction cables "20 at the moment the counterweight approaches the lower limit of its travel.

We prefer to provide an. automatic rope tal e-up in accordance with our invention upon the pivotally mounted tension beam of the Neenan type of elevator. One form of the invention embodying this arrangement is shown in. Figs. el, :"1 and 6 oi the drawings, in which 12 is the piv otaliy mounted double beam having journaled upon it the car supporting sheave 2 substantially as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The takeup sheave or pulley 1,5 is nimintcd between the two beam members 12 upon the short transverse shaft 15 which suitably journaled in the beam members. The traction ropes 2O hissing from the idler sheave or pulley are wound upon and attached to the take-up sheave or pulley l5.

Keyed to the short shaft 15 is a worm gear meshing constantly with a worm (l6 upon shaft 67 which is joornaled in bracket 86 fixed eupiiort not shown.

'4!) ing of bile traction refines 01 comes bearings 68 supporied upon one of m members 12. Freely jomneleci open 10ml shaft 67 is a bevel gear 69 in eonszi izii mesh with a similar. gem "4'0 keyed its 5 journal 'Silfifi? of the ear 3 no sheave 2. The bevei gem -2 toothed clutch member which me if b isegral with the gear or otherwise secured to it. A movable tooth 10 member ?6 is formed with an one Q flanged barre portion 77 which slides upon 1 v and is splined to the shaft 67 by means of i key 78. A spring surrounding the barrel portion 77 is eonfined between dutch 35 head and an internal flange upon s1:

roumiing tubular member '3' 3TH": is mounted on, a short rock show 85 naled upon brackets? secured to we side in a beam member l2. Thisrocl: m 85 ries an inwardly presented 2 adapted to engage the inwardly eci end of tubular memes]? F9 so the; she move" of rock arm 85 eoweied gear 69 wiii m; s spring 80 and shrew the movaoie e? v 25 member 76 into engagement wish the is clutch member 'i5. Pin 88 nosmeiiy gages flange if? on sleeve I? to hoid movable ciutoh member 6 away from fixed shite member Show; reek 30 86 carries a downwardly presented 89 having: e iiitei'ai pin 02' Eng wiieii (mites in the twmpam; siofb 91, 972 of a; tionar v eonfiioiiing pieiie oz briiiikw The joists or bracket 93 is mounts L oon "SiIQCE all of the times deem e.

i v the piaije or bieekez 93, mm: the movable beam ii elem" shat, noon the sesetehmg or beams 12 wh ch are enmeshed in s or m les), Wiii move downii ardip' a suifieient downward moveme of s 70- porting beams will throw pin 0: 1m: 46 into engagement with the cam shoxzider $1 between the impel am} im rer parts of the slot 91. and as said Din moves "from the confsrol of sioi; 91 into the control of sin; rock shaft 86 will be moved for forei sig '5 clutch-Y5. 76 into enzaeemene. i neshina gears 69 and 76 are oneraied. bi ,movement of "she can summiiing' shthe WOIID. shaft 5'? Wili be driven a I ale she H,

car isin motion) to cause a iimiteo Win51 15. This Winding action continues, 62m ns the mo ement of the cam until he she ingof the traction ropes or cables raises supporting bemns 1% to iii 5i? normal -.tion. with the resui i that the pin {move back int-o the upper slot 91 an out the clutch 25., 78. Te viii of o understood time with ehis o" vice, the Winding action es. in

65 when the oer is the collar 137 upon its opposite face. The result of this construction is that in the event of the stretching of the traction ropes or cables sulllciently to allow the lowering of beams 12, the clutch 125, 126 will be thrown into action and since the member 120 alwa driven in the same direction while the car is traveling, the take-up sheave or pulley will be actuated until the beam 12 returned to its normal horizontal po sition when the clutch 125, 126 will be an tomatically thrown out.

In Figs. 10 and 1.1. of the drawing s, we have shown a further slight modification which forms a substitute part of the mecha nism shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this modi fication, bevel gears 150 and 151 are freely journaled upon a sleeve such as 105 (shown in Fig. 8) which sleeve is freely journaled upon the shaft 67. These gears 150 and 151 are in constant mesh with the bevel gear upon the shaft 16 so that they will be constantly driven in opposite directions. Keyed to the sleeve 105 alongside of said gears 150and 151 are ratchet wheels 152 and 153, which are respectively constantly engaged by actuating dogs 154: and 155 piv-- otally mounted upon the outwardly present ed faces of the gears 150 and 151 respec tively. Fig. 10 does not show a complete mechanism, but it will be understood that the sleeve 105 of said figure is designed to have secured to it a clutch member such as 125 of Fig. 8 and that there will be coiiperating with said sleeve clutch member, a clutch member such as 126 of Fig. which is spliced to the shaft 67. In other words, the mechanism shown in Figs. 10 and 11 takes the place of the doubleacting, roller clutch oi the form shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. With this arrangement, the sleeve 105 is driven in the same direction from the re verse movements of sheave 2 caused by the upward and downward travel of the car. The stretching of the ropes or cables 20 sufficiently to permit the lowering of beams 12 far enough to throw into action clutch members 126 and 125 will cause a winding action upon the take-up sheave or pulley which returns the beam 12 to normal horizontal position and automatically throws out said clutch.

In Fig. 12, we show a. further modified structure designed to be operated by the quick vertical movemcnt of pivoted beams 12 caused by the stretch and reaction of the traction ropes or cables 20. In this form of mechanism, the take-up sheave or pulley journaled upon the free end of the pivoted supporting beams 12, has secured to it a ratchet wheel 160 with which engages a pivoted retaining dog 161 to prevent backward motion of the sheave or pulley. Freely journaled alongside of the ratchet wheel 160 is an oscillating pawl carrier 162 provided with a plurality of pivotally mounted spring pressed pawls 163 which are in constant engagement with the ratchet wheel 160. This pawl carrier 162 is connected through a knuckle jointed link 16-1 with a stationary bracket 165. A gravity bell crank controlling lever 1.67 is pivotally mounted upon the pawl carrier 162, and a stop plate 168 is adjustably mounted upon the upper edge of one of the beams 12 to limit the movements of the controlling! lever 167. The long arm of the lever 167 projects to a point directly beneath the knuckle joint of the link 16% so as to break said joint and arrest the action of the take-up device when the beam 12 in normal horizontal position. With this form of mechanism, it will be understood that the downward movement of the free end of pivoted beams 12 will cause jointed link 164. to pull the pawl carrier 162 to the left, and that the upward movement of beams 12 will cause the pawl carrier 162 to move to the right. The first or downward movement is caused by the stretching of the traction ropes or cables, while the return or upward movement is caused by the reaction These two movements of the pawl carrier 162 cause a slight winding or take-up action through the pawl and ratchet mechanism described. In the event of the beams 12 being raised slightly above their normal horizontal position, the controlling lever 167 will break the knuckle joint of link .161 and thereby arrest the winding or take-up action of the device until the beams 12 are again lowered sulficicntly to throw the parts into normal its end for manual operation to facilitate adjusting the tension of the ropes or cables when the apparatus is first installed; or when, for any reason, the operative relation of the parts should be changed. The worm shaft 171 has keyed to it a ratchet wheel 17-1 engaged by a spring pressed pawl 175 pivotally mounted upon a gear 176 which is freely journaled upon the worm shaft 171 alongside of the ratchet wheel 174. This gear 176 is in constant mesh with a vertically arranged curved rack bar 177 secured to a stationary support (not shown) in operative relation to the mechanism just described.

This mechanism. also operates automati cally from the stretch and reaction of the traction ropes or cables 20, the downward movement of beams 12 rotating gear 176- upon rack 17? and causing dog 175 and or cable, operating mechanism for said take said means depending upon the stretchup sheave or pull sy, and controlhng means mg 01' lengthenlng oi the tractlon rope or actuated by the stretch and rcactlon of sand cable,

'11:"0 'czb "w' in n i t L-{ t 1 n 101m 01 1 le fol H11 0 m it fin JOHN J NLENAN 5 out of nctlun sand Lake-up opex'ntlng 1mch- GFOPG T H KNCHETT v .1 x A l nnlsm' MICHAEL P IFENAN l 0 S. 111 airactmn mechanxsm, the combnm- J ban of a tractmn rope or cable With a take \vl'tnessesz up mcclmnlsm, and. means for controlling M. G. Cmwl-olm,

10 the wm'ntkm of said take up mechanism, HERBERT H, K'Nmlm. 

